Steve Taylor Roaring Lambs Chat Transcript

The Music Channel at crosswalk.com was proud to host Squint
Entertainment founder, Christian music pioneer, music legend STEVE TAYLOR to
discuss the ROARING LAMBS project in a live chat event!

ROARING LAMBS CHAT TRANSCRIPT

Fritzpw_Host says, in his best impression of
the teacher of the song Lifeboat, "Tonight we're going to have a chat. This
chat is with Steve Taylor"

Fritzpw_Host says, "And now with no further
statements....Meet Steve Taylor!!!!"

Steve Taylor bows gracefully.

jericho29 asks, "Steve, what can you tell us
about the St. Gimp film project?"

Steve Taylor says, "It is technically in
production. Segments of the movie are animated and Jonathan Richter, who
works on staff at Squint and animated the videos for Chevelle's "Mia" and
Insyderz's "He Has Made Me Glad" videos as well as my "Cash Cow" video is
doing the animation. We've not started shooting the live action sequences
yet, because I am still finishing the second draft of the script with my
writing partner, Ben Pearson."

funkasaurus asks, "Do you consider yourself
a workaholic? It seems like you'd have to be, with all the things you
do."

Steve Taylor says, "I've never thought of
myself as that before. What are the symptoms?"

jvis asks, "Steve, you rock. what is your
favorite song among those that you wrote?"

ima1 says, "and why?"

Steve Taylor says, "One of the songs that I
am most happy with and can still listen to without squirming is "The Finish
Line"."

KingDavid8 asks, "So, Steve, have you signed
any new bands to Squint recently?"

Steve Taylor says, "Yes, there is a hip-hop
group out of LA called "LA Symphony". 8 MC's and a DJ out of Los Angeles.
Their style is very innovative, they all love God! They've got a lot of
celebrities from the hip-hop world working with them, including Will I AM
from "Black-eyed Peas", Prince Paul from De La Soul...and Mario C, who
produces the Beastie Boys. It is shaping up to be a really great record. I
think it will break a lot of new ground."

Wisp asks, "What was your most embarrassing
moment?"

Steve Taylor laughs hysterically.

Steve Taylor says, "A couple of days after I
broke my ankle at a Cornerstone show, I made the unfortunate decision to do
a concert from an electric wheelchair... The wheelchair ran out of juice
halfway through the concert, leaving me to push myself around with just one
foot.... It was a pathetic sight!"

Fritzpw_Host says, "Good thing you weren't
close to a window"

Fritzpw_Host chuckles in amusement.

jvis asks, "Can you tell us if Burlap To
Cashmere is making as much progress in the mainstream as they'd like?"

Steve Taylor says, "I don't think so, it's
unfortunate because their record label "A&M" got bought by "Interscope", and
I don't think the people at Interscope realize what a great band they
are."

duckylovesjesus asks, "why did you call this
CD roaring lambs?"

Steve Taylor says, "It is named after a book
written by the late Bob Briner, which deals with the importance of
Christians breaking out of a "Christian" sub-culture and obeying Jesus'
command to be salt and light. Bob was a great friend and helped me a lot in
starting Squint."

Iocasta asks, "With the rise of MP3' and
Napster, as well as with the changes occurring in Christian music, where do
you see the music industry in ten years?"

Steve Taylor says, "Extinct... The music
business needs to undergo a radical re-alignment....record companies have
too much power and artists get treated like indentured servants."

potsie41 asks, "Why haven't you put out an
album in so long, Steve good buddy? Is there one coming soon?"

Steve Taylor says, "I've been working on new
songs for the soundtrack to "St. Gimp", but it's obviously taking me a long
time... The new track I recorded for Roaring Lambs was fun, but it would be
nice to do an entire album... This gig at squint takes up more time than I
thought it would."

Wisp asks, "What is the most awesome
practical joke you have ever pulled off?"

Fritzpw_Host listens intently

Steve Taylor says, "A chat on Crosswalk.com
that pretended that it was actually Steve Taylor answering the
questions."

Iocasta asks, "Steve, thinking about the
whole Christians as salt and light in the world issue, I wonder what you
make of bands like Collective Soul and the Call - who don' t necessarily
preach, but certainly have a Christian slant informing their music."

Steve Taylor says, "One of the things the
book stresses is the importance of excellence in everything we do. When we
do excellent work, in Bob Briner's words, "We Earn the right to ROAR", The
Call and Collective Soul are great bands, as are current bands like
POD."

ima1 asks, "Do you listen to them?"

Steve Taylor says, "Yes."

ima1 asks, "Tell us about your
family..."

Steve Taylor says, "I've been married to
Debbie for 15 years....no children as of yet."

godlycool asks, "Does Debbie ever sing old
songs to annoy you?"

Steve Taylor says, "No, she doesn't really
sing, except in church, she is a painter."

Orca1 asks, "What is your fave childhood
memory?"

Steve Taylor says, "My parents took me,
along with my brother and sister on a trip through Central America, when I
was 5. We didn't have the proper visa's, so they talked their way through
different borders, into Guatemala and Honduras... By the time we ended up in
Panama, they were afraid we wouldn't be able to get back, so we sold our car
and flew to Florida, bought a new car, and drove home to California."

daydreaming asks, "So which of your songs
are the ones that make you squirm?"

Steve Taylor says, "There is at least one on
each album, except maybe the Squint album."

mariposa767 asks, "How many countries have
you traveled to and which was the most memorable for you?"

Steve Taylor says, "When we filmed the
"Squint: Movies from the Soundtrack" video, we traveled around the world and
filmed in 10 different countries. I think my favorite stop was Vietnam."

ima1 asks, "Why Vietnam?"

Steve Taylor says, "We filmed in Hanoi, and
we were some of the first Americans to visit there since the Vietnam War.
Hanoi was like a city in a time warp....and it felt like the most foreign
place I had ever been. (I'm pretty sure sometime on that trip I ate dog
without knowing it.)"

eliezer.mc asks, "Is there an artist who you
regret NOT having signed to Squint?"

Steve Taylor says, "I'm sure there will be,
every time I sign a "rejection letter", I wonder if I am passing on the next
"U2"."

Mrlunt asks, "Is John Mark Painter on your
next album, or any of the guys from C.G."

Steve Taylor says, "John Mark Painter is a
musical genius, and I try to have him on as much stuff as I can. I still see
the guys from Chagall Guevara fairly regularly, and we still work together
in different combinations, sometimes."

Meltdown1 asks, "Steve, my lungs are swollen
from trying to hold my breath for a new Chagall cd. Is it in vain or should
I hold out an inkling of hope?"

Steve Taylor says, "There is a fair amount
of material that was never released, we just can't figure out the best way
to let it escape."

Steve Taylor says, "I have no idea...... are
Brooklyn and Chapel Hill sister cities? Evidently, Dave Mathews went to see
Burlap to Cashmere at a club in Denver and was very impressed."

Meltdown1 asks, "Steve, can you tell us
about the time you took your youth group to an airport for a game of capture
the flag?"

Fritzpw_Host pictures Steve climbing the
tail section of a Boeing 777 to attach their flag.

Steve Taylor says, "It seemed like a good
idea at the time. We got caught by the airport security when we used the
white paging telephones to signal that "Round 1" was over..."

caspianrex asks, "Do you think that there's
still hope for satire in Christian music, or was Cash Cow our last hope for
that?"

Steve Taylor says, "Hip-Hop is where the
best lyrics are currently being written and part of my attraction to LA
Symphony is that their lyrics are fresh and funny and full of insight and
truth."

Meltdown1 asks, "Steve, I was just wondering
what one might find if he strolled through Steve Taylor's cd collection.
What are some of your frequently played favs?"

Steve Taylor says, "My collection is huge!
I'm currently listening to the new Travis CD... But, the last thing I
listened to was the new Sixpence None the Richer album, which we just
finished mixing in Florida a few days ago. It's a really incredible album,
but nobody gets to hear it yet..."

Iocasta asks, "Steve, since you've been
there and done that, any words of wisdom for us younger artists who are
trying to keep our faith evident while out there in the world?"

Steve Taylor says, "Our culture places self-
expression as the highest form of artistry and the result is that the arts
get perverted into something that is very egocentric and self-serving.
That's why I like the story that C.S. Lewis relates in "Mere Christianity"
(which is where Sixpence None the Richer got their name). Artistry is a gift
from God, and we only give back to God what He gave us in the first place.
We should offer our arts in humility and see ourselves as servants."

Fritzpw_Host says, "Steve, thank you so much
for coming to chat with us."

Fritzpw_Host says, "Everyone I am so glad
you came. I hope you had a great time, I know I did. Thanks so much for
joining us for our chat with Steve Taylor."